Calaveras Has Talent

Last year, we had our first auditions for Calaveras Has Talent on April 24-25. We held auditions at two venues over two days. We had a total of 5 people audition in Valley Springs and no one at the other! At first it was a bit discouraging for us. We thought we had enough publicity and enough posters out that people would just simply come and audition. For what though? It was a show! We had no idea how it flow exactly. What was the quarter final? What did our talent get? What was the purpose (outside of fundraising for music education?

It was just a concept that came to life…

Music, dance, comedy, and what we learned last year, yo yo, is what people do for fun. To let off steam. Performance art for their friends and family. Or their band that gets together in a garage and writes music. It means something to them. Music is life. Mostly, music matters and it matters to our citizens of Calaveras County.

While we were discouraged last year, we pressed on. I still recall last year when Linda Owens had hijacked kids out of Common Grounds Coffee to run home and get their guitars and come back and play for our judges. AND THEY DID!

We had a lot more auditions that second venue. And from there it sort of grew to the 72 acts and 90 people that came through the quarter finals last year. I still recall the Northern California Brothers walking in and surprising everyone with their talent. I still remember the metal vocal from Josh Weber and he showed up in costume to boot at the quarter final. I remember Max Girard stalling for 5 minutes to build the courage to audition. And we were blown away!

We put on a heck of a show! And we are doing it again. This August we will host quarter finals at both Bret Harte Theater and the new Calaveras Pereforming Arts Center in San Andreas.

All proceeds from donations and ticket sales benefit our music programs for education in Calaveras, Vallecito, Bret Harte and Mark Twain School Districts.

Thank you all for your participation last year and in advance this year!

Calaveras Has Talent is a competition. Last years final 13 participants were true competitors. Maybe not so much at first, as their love for song and dance (and yo-yo) was why there were there in the first place.

It’s their passion! And they loved doing it!

And so do you!

We get asked all the time, “What do I need to do for the audition?” “I am scared?” “How much should I prepare?” “How many songs should I do?”

And we’ll say: It’s easy!

Prepare your favorite 3 minute performance routine.

Use a karaoke style song (without the original voice) or play your own guitar/piano accompaniment or have a someone play with you.

We will have the option for iPhone or mp3 with the headphone output option. If you use a CD, please try and bring your own player as CD-R’s come in all kinds of formats.

Practice, practice, practice…

Everyone…. gets nervous!

Calaveras Has Talent is… because of YOU! You make the show. And your efforts help us raise money for music education in Calaveras County schools.

When we found out in February that CUSD had removed music education off of the cut list. While this was a “victory” to know our kids will be able to continue with music, we simply just couldn’t stop or claim this was an end. We were far from our goal as an organization to help build a sustainable program and since music has been an important part of all of our organization and supporter’s lives, it was time to enter the next phase.

Music has an important history in Calaveras County. It is a county wide hobby for a lot of residents. It is a county wide activity with concerts at Ironstone Vineyards or at the Calaveras Fair and Jumping Frog Jubliee. From garage bands in Rancho Calaveras to coffee shop players in Murphys, Arnold and Mountain Ranch, choirs in our local churches and to students at CUSD, Bret Harte and Vallecito Districts, or simply in the comfort of our own homes and cars with our iDevices, we as residents always have had music as an important part of our lives in some way shape or form.

That is why we have made the transition to start the Support Music Calaveras Campaign. This is a county wide campaign to support music for every resident in Calaveras County. We will be here first to support music education county wide. We will be here to support music performances. We will be here to bring music to everyone with community support because #musicmatters

Our First Event is the Calaveras Has Talent Show. This is a family oriented and fun event is open to every resident in Calaveras County. Come audition. Sing your heart out, Dance your legs off, show us some magic tricks, strum your guitar or show us what ever talent makes you unique with a goal: Just have fun!

Calaveras Youth Organization will be seeking local and community fundraising support for our events. Tickets will be sold at the Quarter, Semi and Final Events for those that want to attend the shows. All funds will be used for the Support Music Calaveras Campaign.

We will have 2 Quarter Final Events (Aug 8 at the SA Town Hall, and Aug 15 at the Fairgrounds)

The Semi Final Event will August 29 at the Fair Grounds.

The Final will be October 10th, 2015 at the Fairgrounds.

Audition to advance and gain entry to the quarter final will be held at the following dates and times:

(Note: “Electric and Amplified band auditions will not be available at the Valley Springs or Avery Middle School locations)

Please note: There will be no audience at the try out auditions, just a performer and three judges. Those under 18 can have one parent or guardian attend the audition. Please bring water as the afternoon late Spring/Summer events will be warmer.